Into the Wild

I guess the other thing I can talk about in this blog is something else I know a lot about - teaching English overseas.

Maurice: A digression already?

Yup. I have, once again, begun the process of finding a TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Langauge) job. I taught English in Poland 2007-2008 and it was the best experience of my life. Financial issues forced me back to Canada, but now I’m ready to go again! Had an interview for a job in Micronesia that went very, very well. Will be setting up an interview with a school in Guatemala. Even going to contact my old school in Poland to see if there are any positions.

So…where’s the best place to start if you’re interested in doing something like this? The Internet. I spend hours searching TEFL job sites for positions. Google “TEFL jobs”, “ESL employment”, “ESL jobs” or any combination thereof and you’ll get a lot of hits. Some of my favourite sites have been:

eslteachersboard.com
eslemployment.com
transitionsabroad.com
tefl.com

Or, go directly to the schools. This site: eslbase.com has links to schools all over the world. If you have the time and patience, check the schools’ sites directly to see if they are hiring or accepting resumes. Many schools have large revolving doors when it comes to teachers, and will keep your info on file for when they have openings.

Use your discretion. If a job ad has too little information, it’s probably not worth your time. If it has too much, it’s probably too good to be true. You can also google a school’s name plus “blacklist” to find out if they have been discussed in a negative light on any forums.

Above all else, apply, apply, apply. Send your stuff everywhere!! I don’t have a TEFL certificate and more and more schools are requiring this…but not all of them! Get your stuff out there and you are bound to get something!

Maurice: What are you reading right now?

“Jackdaws” by Ken Follett. It’s pretty good – a Fiction spy story set during WWII.